Page 56 of Take Me Home for Christmas

Brax waved his hands in the air. “You’re overthinking,” he said.

“You’re a man,” I retorted. “You have no idea.”

“You can wear a dress like that anywhere.”

He might’ve had a point. Still, it was a big splurge. We joined the ice cream line, which by now was twenty-five people long, and all my nerves had replaced my appetite.

Brax’s phone went off. He pulled it out of his pocket and checked the number. “Hey, I’ve got to take this,” he said. “I’ll be right back.”

As he answered it, I grabbed his elbow. “Don’t you dare go back and buy that dress,” I warned.

He pressed his lips together, stifling a smile. “I respect your autonomy far too much to do that.” After one step away, he turned. “Hey, get me a chocolate cone, okay?”

And that was how he left me. With a stomach too full of heartburn to even want ice cream.

He returned just in time to accept his cone.

“Where’s yours?” he asked.

“Not hungry. I decided that I’m going back to get that dress.”

“Great,” he said, taking the cone.

“I mean, YOLO and everything,” I said, rambling. “Plus, closure is important. Might as well feel good about myself when the eyes of the entire town are on me, right?”

In my confusion, I finally realized he was wearing a huge grin. And he was standing kind of funny. Sort of like how you do when you’re hiding something.

I peeked around him to see a shopping bag with strongly scented pink tissue paper sticking out of it. And it smelled just like La Petite Poussine.

“Ah-choo!” I sneezed into my arm.

“Gesundheit,” he said. He grinned and stepped aside. “Good thing you want it, because it’s unreturnable.”

“Thanks, fairy godfather. I’ll Venmo you.”

“No, you won’t. Merry Christmas.”

I tugged him by the sleeve of his jacket over to the side of the wall. Three little kids were sitting at a table nearby. There was more ice cream on their faces and clothes than in their little bodies.

“Brax…Brax.” I took a deep breath. “No. Just…no. I can’t accept this as a gift. I just can’t.”

He set the bags down, and then he put his hands on my shoulders. “Mia,” he said softly, and his quiet, calm tone made me teary. I already sensed what he was about to say.

“Forget about the money for now. You can wear whatever you want to tonight. But I wanted you to have the choice of feeling like you could walk in there and do anything and feel confident and beautiful doing it. Even though you’re beautiful with the dress or without it.” He gave a lopsided grin that was absolutely charming. I knew that he truly wanted me to have that dress. Period. “Please don’t be angry with me. The lady with the orange jumpsuit was circling like a piranha. I had to act fast.”

Of course, I laughed. He did too. Then I clutched my stomach. I was now in full fight-or-flight mode.

“Have some ice cream. It always makes things better.”

I was more worried about panty lines and my boobs showing. “Do you mind if I run into the lingerie store?”

“Who do you think I am?” He looked fake appalled. “I didn’t get to be chief because I’m a slacker.” He pointed to the bag. “Claudia worked her magic. It’s all in there.”

I shook my head, incredulous. “Thanks,” I said, giving him a quick squeeze. “Not just for the dress, which I am totally paying you back for. For helping me think this through.”

“Anything for you,” he said, giving me a look that made me feel like melted chocolate inside.

This had been the most fun afternoon. It almost took away the pain of everything I had yet to face.

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